Watch



H. N. HILL.

WATCH.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG-2511921. 1 ,4203261 Patented June 20, 1922.

27- I 36 J6 /2J .Z-

.7 I A I INVENTOR H. N. Hill.

A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES HERBERT NATHAN HILL, OF BELMOND, IOWA.

"WATCH.

Specification of Letters fatent.

Patented June 20, 1922.

Application filed August 26, 1921. Serial No. 495,590.

I all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, llnnennr NATHAN HILL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Belmond in the county of l/Vright and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Watches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to watches and more particularly to' the means for supporting the balance staff and balance jewels.

An important object is to provide novel means for supporting the balance staff so that when the watch drops or is subjected to hard usage the bearings or jewels of the same will be permitted to move slightly and thereby cushion the shock on the balance staff and balance jewels for protecting the same from breakage.

In carrying out the invention, means are also provided for limiting the cushioning action so as not to interfere with the timekeeping qualities of the watch.

A further object is to provide a balance staff supporting means for watches which is of highly simplified construction, durable in use and cheap to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed ,to designate like parts throughout thesame, I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a balance staff supported by means of the improved jewel retainers, 1

Figure 2 is a plan view of a cap jewel retainer embodied in the invention,

Figure 3 is a plan view of an annular jewel retainer,

Figure 4: is a plan view of a disk shaped bumper embodied in the invention,

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

In the drawing-the numeral 5 designates a balance bridge connected to a foot or plate 6 as indicated at 7 and provided with a laterally projecting base portion 8. The invention residing in this application is in the particular means employed for supporting the balance staff 9 in such a manner that the same may move a limited distance either longitudinally or laterally when the watch is subjected to a jar as the result of a fall or hard usage.

journals and annular stop shoulders 11.

As illustrated in Figure 1- the balance staff 9 is reduced as indicated at 10 to provide The journals 10 are freely extended through centrally arranged openings 12 in a pair of disk-shaped bumpers 13 which are secured to the balance bridge and the foot by fastening devices 1 1. As the journals 10 are freely extended through the centrally arranged openings 12 the balance staff 9 is permitted to move laterally to a limited extent when the watch is dropped on edge. However, this lateral movement is not sufiicient to interfere with the operation of the watch.

Each journal 10 is provided with a spindle 15 extended through an annular jewel 16 carried by a jewel retainer generallydesignated by the numeral 17 and which includes an attaching annulus 18. The jewel retainer 17 may be of spring metal and is provided with a convolution 19 having its inner end connected to a hub 20 adapted to receive the annular jewel 16. When the several spindles 15 are extended through the jewels 16 and when the jewels are in place in the hub the balance staff 9 will be permitted to move laterally until the journals 10 contact with the sides of the openings 12. The jewel retainers 17 are possessed of sufficient rigidity to normally hold the balance staff in position and thereby insure the proper operation of the staff.

The balance staff is also permitted to partake of a slight longitudinal movement should the watch fall on its face or back.

To permit the balance staff to move longitudinally the shoulders 11 are spaced inwardly from the disk shaped bumpers 13 and one shoulder engages the adjacent bumper when the watch falls on one side.

The balance staff is yieldably held against longitudinal movement by means of a cap' jewel retainer 22 which includes an attaching annulus 23 having a convolution 24 connected to a hub 25. The hub 25 receives a cap jewel 27 with which the end of the adjacent spindle 15 contacts. It will be seen that when the watch falls on either side the balance staff 9 will be moved longitudinally since the several convolutions 24: of the cap jewel retainers 22 are somewhat resilient. However, the cap jewel retainers 22 are sufficiently rigid to normally hold the balance staff against endwise movement.

It will be noted that the retainers 17 and 22 are flatly connected to each other by means of fastening or connecting devices 29 which may be of any suitable type.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 5 a jewel retainer 30 is provided with an annulus 31 having a convolution 32 to which is connected a hub 33. In this case the hub 33 supports the annular jewel 3a and the cap jewel. 35 so that the retainer 30 functions not only as a means for permitting lateral movement of the staff but as a means for permitting longitudinal movement of the same.

lVith reference to the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that the improved jewel supports permit of a limited movement of the balance staff so that the same will not be rendered inoperative should the watch fall or otherwise be subjected to hard usage. Dust caps 36 may be connected to a flange 37 or otherwise supported.

In a watch constructed in accordance with this invention, dropping of the same either on the edge or on either side, will not brealc the balance staff and balance jewels. Further, should the watch be dropped or sub jected to other hard usage, such as would. break the balance staff, or balance jewels of Watches as are now in use, the balance staff and balance jewels of a watch constructed in accordance with this invention will withstand the same hard usage and the time keeping qualities of the balance staff and balance jewels will not be interfered with. It will be seen that the yieldable supporting means for the balance staff 9 and the several jewels normally hold the staff and the jewels in a set position so that the balance is positioned properly with relation to the other parts of the watch. The jewel retainers 17 and 22 are preferably formed from one piece of metal. That is to say, the hub of each jewel retainer is formed integral with the convolution of the same and the convolution is in turn formed integral with the annulus.

It is to be understood that the invent-him forming the subject matter of this application is in the nature of a resilient means to cushion the shocks on the jewels and balance staff when the watch falls either on its side or edge, or is otherwise subjected to hard use, and it is to be further understood that the several forms of the invention herein shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and that such minor changes in arrangement and construction of parts may be made as will reinain within the spirit of the invention and the scope of what is claimed.

1 claim 1. The combination with balance staff jewels, of a balance staff associated. therewith, means to yieldably support said ewels, and means to limit the longitudinal and lateral movement of said balance staff, and av dust cap extended over each of the jewel supporting means.

2. In a watch, the combination with a balance staff having its ends provided with spindles, of perforated jewel retainers receiving said spindles, cap jewels contacting with the ends of said spindles, inner and outer separate jewel retainers arranged in superposed relation and having hubs supporting said jewels and having convolutions yieldably supporting said hubs, attaching devices extending through said inner and outer separate jewel retainers and securing the same flatly in contact with each other, and bumpers through which said fastening devices are extended.

In a watch, the combination with a balance staff having its ends provided with spindles, of perforated jewel retainers re ceiving said spindles, cap jewels contacting with the ends of said spindles, inner and outer jewel retainers having hubs support ing said jewels and having convolutions yieldably supporting said hubs and attaching devices extending through said inner and outer jewel retainers and securing the same flatly in contact with each other, and dust caps extending over said jewel retainers.

4-. In a watch, the combination with a balance staff having its ends provided with spindles, of perforated jewel. retainers rccciving said spindles, cap jewels contacting with the ends of said spindles, inner and outer separate jewel retainers arranged in superposed relation and having hubs surporting said jewels and having convolutions yieldably supporting said hubs and attacln ing devices extending through said inner and outer separate jcwcl retainers andv securing the same flatly in contact with each other, and means arranged inwardly of the said jewel retainers to limit the endwise movement of said balance stafi.

HERBERT NATHAN HILL. 

